Forward Shoulder Adjustments for Sleeves

10.14.2013

Forward shoulders, that annoying problem that makes your shoulder seams start inching their way toward your back.   With all the hunching over computers we do these days, a lot of us find we need this fitting adjustment.  Or maybe it's the hunching over your sewing machine, you know who you are!!! (Pretends I don't lay my forehead on the machine when I'm concentrating really hard. No my posture is perfect, perfect I say!)

Anyway...you probably already know how to do a forward shoulder adjustment to the bodice. Easy peasy you just add to the back and cut down the front. (Diagram from "Fit for Real People.")
While all the fitting books I own show this fix, they don't say a word about adjusting the sleeve itself.  I know that "Fit for Real People" tells you to either ease in more on the front of the sleeve or not to bother matching the underarm seams.   I found that not matching the underarm seams worked better for me when setting the sleeves.  There was just too much ease in the front of the sleeve to get it sewn in without any puckers.  However knowing that the underarm seams weren't matching was driving me slowly insane.

Enter Leila who tweeted me, "Hey have you heard of this?" and linked me to a Pattern Review board.  There I learned that you could just move the sleeve caps forward, there by fixing all your sleeve setting problems.  So easy!!!  Just in case some of you have never heard of this fix either I've photo'ed up a little how to. You get both one piece and two piece sleeves cause sometimes I'm a comprehensive blogger.

For One Piece Sleeves

1. Draw a line perpendicular to the grainline across the sleeve cap. It should be above the front/back of sleeve notches but the exact position doesn't matter.  This will be our cutting line for the alteration.
2. Square a line down from your sleeve head notch through the horizontal line you just drew.  This will be your guideline for measuring the forward adjustment.
3. Cut the sleeve cap apart on the horizontal line across the cap.
4. You're going to need to move the sleeve cap forward the same amount that the shoulder seam has been moved. Using your vertical guideline as a starting point, measure this amount and mark.  My forward shoulder adjustment is 1/2", so I've marked a small dash at that location. Take the upper part of the sleeve and place the vertical guideline on the new position you just marked.
5. Tape the two pieces together and then add a little paper to the gap that was created in the back.
6. Using a French Curve draw a new curve for the front of the sleeve.  I line up one part of the curve with the sleeve head notch and the other with the lower part of the sleeve like so.
7. Repeat least step for the back of the sleeve.
8. Now you're sleeve will look like this. The sleeve head now has more ease in the back to match the change you've made to the armhole.
9. Cut off the excess paper and you sleeve is ready for fabric.


Two Piece Sleeve Alteration
1. On a two piece sleeve it matters where you draw the perpendicular line across the sleeve cap. Make sure it lines up with the corner where the back of sleeve seam is.  You want the upper sleeve edge to still fit the lower sleeve edge when you're done.
2. Square down the line from the sleeve head notch through the perpendicular line as before.
3. Cut the sleeve cap on the horizontal line, mark the forward shoulder adjustment and position the upper vertical guide line on it as in the one piece sleeve.  Tape sleeve together and add paper to the back.
4. Again using a French Curve draw a new curve for the front of the sleeve using the sleeve head notch and lower portion of the sleeve.
5. For the back of the sleeve put the French Curve on the sleeve head notch and the corner of the back sleeve seam.
6. Sleeve looks like this before trimming. Ease added to back while maintaining seam edge that joins to the lower sleeve.
7. Trim the excess paper off and you're done!

I hope that was clear and semi-formative. Now go forth and hack up your sleeves!

27 comments:

  1. very nice! i used to think that adjustments like these were just for the over-fitters... until i realized i need to make this adjustment myself and what a difference it made! i cheat a little on the sleeve and just move the underarm seam--so i take off from the front and add it to the back so that the side seam and underarm seams line up. the perfectionist in me couldn't take the FFRP advice of letting them be off... i may try this way next time, i'm curious if one is better than the other!

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  2. I saw the post yesterday on PatternReview and bookmarked it. Well, here you have excellent step-by -step photos! Like you, not having seams lined up bugs me. Great post

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  3. Thank you so so much. This subject has puzzled me for years. I always make a 1 " forward shoulder adjustment and I have never known what to do with the sleeve. I did a FFRP course in the UK and I wasn't shown how to alter the sleeve but I have come to realise that leaving as is sn't good. I have read many books and I have scoured the internet and opinions vary at best. I am definitely going to try this on my next make.

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  4. Great photos! I'm a visual learner, so just seeing your photos of the adjustments made it so clear! Lightbulb moment! That makes so much sense!

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  5. I think I may need this adjustment as well! Sometimes I find it very difficult to find out WHY something isn't fitting me properly. Both in sewing and RTW. But, I do very often have that seams rolling back issue. I'm going to bookmark your tutorial and follow it for the next top/dress I make with sleeves to see if it makes a difference.

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  6. Oh that's interesting, I've never thought of moving the underarm seams around. Might work just as well. :)

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  7. Thank you and I'm glad my photos can go along with that excellent tip.

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  8. I completely agree with you that there doesn't seem to be much information on this subject. This method works well for me though my adjustment is much smaller than yours. I'll cross my fingers that it works out for you when you give it a try.

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  9. Woot! You are officially the smartest person here. :)

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  10. Excellent! I'm glad that my photos made everything click in your brain. I do like a little visual learning myself.

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  11. I still have problems figuring out why some things don't fit too. Some times it's just trail and error. But this this a go and see if you like it. :)

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  12. Great explanation - and very easy method. I always do the cheater method, but I like this better. And so easy to understand!

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  13. Thank you SO much for such a wonderful picture based tutorial!! - from anothe long time slumpy ;)

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  14. Thanks Maria, I've never heard of the cheater method but if you like this better I won't worry about it.

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  15. Your welcome, I'm so glad you've found it helpful.

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  16. Brilliant, just brilliant. Thank you

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  17. It worked Woohooooo !!!! Thank you so much Heather. I am trying so much to sit better and have better posture .. in the mean time I'm glad this worked.

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  18. I've been scouring the interwebz and every sewing/tailoring book and NO ONE describes how to alter the sleeve after making a fwd shoulder alteration. No one?! This little tutorial is really terrific. Why hasn't anyone who has printed a book and calls themselves a fancy sewing professional not provided this info... it never occurred to them that after altering a sleeve opening you automatically have to alter the sleeve that you set in it? You rule. This is such an easy fix I'll be doing on a coat this week. Yee haw!

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  19. Hooray! I'm glad that the adjustment worked out for you. Good luck on working one your posture too. Probably should add that to my list of things to do. :)

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  20. Thanks Ann_B , I'm glad this was helpful.

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  21. I agree Kathy, it seems like such an odd thing to be missing from fitting books. I'm glad you found my blog post helpful in your fitting process. :)

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  22. I'm making B5215 out of a knit fabric. I did a half inch forward shoulder adjustment. Should I still do the sleeve adjustment?

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  23. I freely admit that often on knits I skip a forward shoulder adjustment all together. But if you've already adjusted the shoulder than I'd adjust the sleeve as well.

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  24. Thank you. This has been so helpful.

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  25. THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU. I have been having shoulder/armhole issues in almost everything I make and just recently came to the realization that I need to make a forward shoulder adjustment. But I was wanting to make the change to a knit garment, and knew just easing it in per FFRP wasn't going to look good. I think this will solve my problem!

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  26. Thanks Nicole. Trying to ease all that extra fabric into the front of the sleeve is a PITA. I do this adjustment mostly for that reason. :)

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  27. Hello, Thanks so much for sharing this, I am trying to fit my sleeve and I feel that I have to rotate my sleeve forward and the underarm seamline will be off, which I dont want. I will apply this technique and see if it Works for me.

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